Woolgathering

Woolgathering

these works explore time and the meditative experience through the use of repetitive and obsessive processes. These abstract configurations using miniscule pen marks reflect the flow of a wondering mind and indulgence in day-dreaming.

Meditations

Artist Statement

I am drawn to the beauty and simplicity of the line; the marks on a page. I am most drawn to the use of pen and ink because I like the idea of a line that cannot be erased. I am interested in the act of drawing; the act of mark-making. I like the idea that the action of putting a mark on a page records a moment and presents that shareable moment to the viewer. I am interested in the idea of time: the time taken to make my art and the time the works require the viewer to look at them or contemplate them. These drawings become a daily meditation and a record of my time. The intricate and obsessive detail conveys a sense of labor and my own personal engagement.

My drawings are abstract; they are detailed and precise, resembling things like orbs, scientific specimens and organic bacterial growth. I work small in scale, often on 4 x 4 inch paper, sometimes venturing into larger scale pieces.

My drawings give the illusion of order in a complex and chaotic network when, in fact, my drawings are created without a plan of order but with improvisation. Working in an abstract minimalist way I believe gives each individual mark a presence, an immediacy that wouldn’t necessarily be there if the marks were meant to serve a representational, illusory purpose.

My drawings are a meditation. My process is one of repetition and obsessive attention to detail. The act of drawing enforces the intangible onto the page, making it concrete. By allowing the process, not the final result, to be the focus of my work I find each drawing takes on a life. Patterns grow and change in unexpected ways. I am able to have a relationship with my work. I see my work both as a way to meditate and to create a meditative space for viewers.